mthew

Passiflora incarnata. Two different plants. One was still flowering, while the other was already set with fruit.

You’ve heard of Shark Week. Maybe you’ve heard of Fat Bear Week. Well, I just declared this Wet Bumblebee Week.

Same day as yesterday’s youngster(s). Maybe the same bird. Eating an Eastern Grey Squirrel. Which takes a long time. Raptors usually pluck fairly small pieces off their meal. But they can also choke down a whole limb…

Not like I don’t have more fresh Kestrel content, but this year’s Red-tails have been making their presence known lately. This one was pretty close to me and even closer to other people. They don’t make ’em shy in Brooklyn. I’m not sure if this is the same bird or not. One of these primaries…

A pair of mantises. I think they’re thinking about mating. Male below, female above. But, um, there’s a problem here. These are actually two different species. The female is a European Mantis/Mantis religiosa; identified by the white oval spot surround by black on the upper forelimbs. The male is a Chinese Mantis/Tenodera sinensis; not as…

Big caterpillar, big eater: lotta frass. And another the same day.

This is, evidently, waste product….

Common Green Darners/Anax junius taking a break. On these cooler mornings, they’re more apt to be found perch-hanging than in flight. Last Saturday, I stirred up many from their perches before seeing them, but I did manage to sneak up on the seven above and the four below. And some more:

Gray Hairstreak/Strymon melinus. These are more likely than other Hairstreaks to show their inner wing colors.